The Missing Chapter from Deathly Hallows
by HighonTV
Summary: This chapter starts after the final chapter in Deathly Hallows, to finish the story with the funerals of Fred, Remus and Tonks.


The Missing Chapter

Harry looked at the sky outside coloring a bright shade of purple as the sun began to set. It had been two days since his great triumph over Voldemort, but it didn't feel like a triumph at all. The hours had crept past as though they had no intention of passing, being at the Weasleys in this time of mourning didn't make it any better. The house which had once been so full of life, seemed to have died along with Fred. Even the ghoul had been keeping quiet ever since they had come back from the battle. Harry sighed and picked up one of the books about Horcruxes which Hermione had taken along with her on their journey. Harry couldn't get the image of Dumbledore at King's Cross out of his head. It had taken him a day before he realized who the whimpering creature he saw at King's Cross had been. Voldemort's destroyed horcrux, a part of his soul, of his life, had lain there. In the same room together with his vanquishers.

A silent knock on the door made Harry stop thinking and he looked at sad face of Ginny, who was standing in the doorway, almost afraid of coming in. Harry had mainly kept to himself after the battle, looking for some sort of comforting answer that he might be able to give himself. But he gave a weak smile and a nod as he saw Ginny's watery eyes. She walked in and silently closed the door behind her. It was odd, being alone in the same room together again. The day of his seventeenth birthday now felt like decades ago, like a dream from another life.

"Hey," said Ginny in a breaking voice "can I.." But she couldn't finish the question.

Harry nodded as he took one of her hands to guide her to sit next to him. Her silent sobs sounding as loud thunder in Harry's head, as she put her head on his shoulder. From the corner of his eyes he could see her holding a faded picture. He recognized it at once as being the Daily Prophet picture of four years ago, taken in Egypt. With a burning pain in his stomach he remembered the times of happiness. If only he hadn't let Wormtail go that night, maybe none of this would've happened, he thought.

As though she had heard his contemplation Ginny gave a silent chuckle.

"Remember this Harry," she said holding out the picture and pointing at the twins "they had so much fun together."

Harry nodded and looked at the picture. Nine faces were staring at him, all with a huge smile on their faces.

"We should really go now Harry," Ginny said suddenly "they're going to start…soon."

Harry had wanted to postpone this moment for as long as he could, but he realized he had to face everyone some day. He got up from the bed and took Ginny's hand. The house was empty as they got downstairs, and it looked as though no one had lived in it for years. No one had felt like doing anything around the house for as long as Fred's body was still with them. As though he was still here. But Harry knew too well that Fred had gone on, he had passed King's Cross and gone on. He had the feeling he should tell Ginny, or at least someone, about what he had seen when the killing curse had hit him. But looking in Ginny's sad face made him realize that it wouldn't help them now. Fred was gone, and that was all that mattered.

Harry put his arm around Ginny and helped her as they slowly walked towards the little town of Ottery St Catchpole, where everyone would gather to pay their respect to the fallen heroes. Walking towards the small town Harry looked around to see if he could spot Ron or Hermione. He hadn't felt like speaking to them ever since they left Hogwarts, and he felt as though he should be with his best friends now. But no redhead was to be spotted on the road to the village. They might've already arrived, the thought to himself. Ron had been spending hours alone with Hermione in the garden, and Harry had thought it best not to disturb them. Though he hoped he had done it just once, he had no idea how they were feeling now. Especially Hermione, who had not made any attempt to go back to her parents. Harry felt as though he should've asked her just a little more often how she was doing when they were traveling.

As they arrived at the little graveyard of the village Harry got the slightest feeling as though the entire wizarding world was there. Many Hogwarts students had come to pay their respect to Fred as well as to the entire Weasley family. Although he had already expected it, the funeral proved just how well liked the family had always been.

As Ginny and Harry sat down on one the front row he looked George sitting just a few feet away from him, looking horribly pale. He wasn't crying but kept staring at the black coffin standing just a few feet in front of him, as though he expected this to be just one good joke from his twin brother.

"Look," Ginny whispered with a breaking voice as she pointed to the right. With a nauseating feeling Harry saw four Hogwarts teachers approach carrying the dark brown coffin of Remus Lupin. They were paying their last respect to the former Hogwarts teacher just like Harry had done with Dobby when he dug his grave without using magic. Right behind them Harry could see Tonk's Auror colleagues carrying her coffin. Harry recognized some of them, though he didn't look at them for too long. His eyes were fixed on Tonks's mother Andromeda carrying a small child in her arms, her face glistering with tears as she sat down a few seats from him. Teddy didn't seem to notice anything going on as he slept quietly in Andromeda's arms.

Slowly everyone moved to their seats as the ceremony was about to start. He could see Mrs. Weasley having trouble letting go of the coffin of her son when Mr. Weasley slowly guided her to her seat. And with pain Harry instantly remembered Mrs. Weasleys boggart a few years ago, transforming slowly from one dead relative to another. Back then she had almost been hysterical, but not now. This day she seemed just as George completely dumbstruck with things. As though no one really realized Fred was gone.

Ginny slowly squeezed Harry's hand as Kingsley Shacklebolt, new Minister for Magic, started giving a speech about the heroic deeds of the three fallen warriors. Only few words of the speech reached Harry's ears as he kept staring transfixed at the young Teddy Lupin, remembering the course of his own life. Had he had the same worriless expression on his face when his parents had been murdered?

A strange feeling kept creeping up on him as he watched the Weasleys. Life wasn't fair, it had never been fair. From the day he was born his life and the lives of people around him had been unfair. Even the lives of his enemies hadn't been fair. For a split second Harry thought about Dumbledore at King's Cross and the temptation to go to the other side. Though he was glad he hadn't gone, he kept thinking about Dumbledore and the other side. How wonderful would it have been if the world was a little more like that place. Lupin must've been happy to see the other Marauders again in that wonderful place. Harry even wondered whether Lupin would still be a werewolf in the other place. He smiled weakly at that thought and looked at Ginny. He would tell her some day, give her comfort and stop her worrying.

Shacklebolt had stopped talking and it was time for people to pay their last respect as they walked past the coffins. Harry could see a few of his close friends among the Hogwarts attendees. Neville walked close to Luna as they approached the coffins, silently exchanging looks of understanding between each other.

After a while the group was thinning and only close relatives and friends remained at the graveyard. Harry kept a distance as he tried to fight the tears. Although he had the comfort of knowing where his friends were, he couldn't help but feeling sad for the ones left behind.

He saw George walking to his brother's coffin, and suddenly it looked as though someone had smashed away a shield when he started crying hysterically. The silence, which had hung over the graveyard, was broken with cries of despair.

"This is enough," cried George loudly as he fell to his knees in front of the coffin "you….you.." but he couldn't finish the sentence. His sobs were breaking everyone's heart. Ginny, who had walked up to George kneeled down beside him and put an arm around her brother. George looked up from the coffin into his sister's sad but comforting face. "He's well George," she said, barely audible "he's probably laughing his…" she sobbed, "..his ass off." George gave her a weak smile as he got something from his back pocket.

"His wand.." he said softly holding up the broken pieces of Fred's wand. Ginny smiled and nodded. Silently George put the remains of Fred's wands with their master, where after he turned and walked away silently mourning.

It took a few weeks before the Burrow got back some of it's old glory. Mr. Weasley as well as Bill and Charlie had picked up their work again. Charlie had asked for a temporary job at the department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the Ministry so he could be with his family a bit longer. Although Mrs. Weasley had assured him he could stay as long as he wanted Harry felt he should start to plan his future, find a place to live. He wondered if Grimauld Place was still there. He hadn't thought about the place until now, but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like the one and maybe the only proper place to live for him. He might even invite Kreacher back to good old Grimauld Place.

"What are you thinking about," said Ron abruptly as he turned a page of the Daily Prophet. "You've been doing a lot of that staring lately."

"I was thinking about Grimauld Place," Harry said truthfully.

"Grimauld Place? You think it's still there?"

"Dunno, surely the place is trashed, but I can clean it with Magic now so it shouldn't take too long," Harry said looking at Crookshanks who was searching Ron's room trying to find Arnold.

"As long as you don't forget to come to Hogwarts in September," Ron said with a semi threatening tone in his voice.

"Or else what?"

"Or else I'm gonna have to kill you," Ron said coolly.

They both chuckled. It had been weeks since Harry had heard a joke coming from Ron's mouth.

"You don't think I want to miss McGonagall as Headmistress, now do you?" Harry said. "Maybe we'll finally have some decent detention. Instead of Umbridge or Snape's tormenting detentions." It was the first time Harry had mentioned Snape. It was strange to know the truth now; Snape had been on his side all along. Still Harry couldn't fight the hate he still carried with him for the times Snape had been so violent and mean to him. Humiliated him, tormented him and, most importantly, lied to him.

Harry shook the thought of Snape as the good guy from his mind and turned back to Ron.

"Besides, I still need those NEWTs if I want to support myself and your sister when we're older." He said.

Ron smiled relieved and went back to reading the paper, while Harry could hear Mr. Weasley come home after a day of work. A silent knock on the door and the smiling face of Charlie told Harry that both Percy and him were also home.

"Heya Harry," Charlie said "I got a letter to give you, it's from the Ministry, arrived this afternoon."

Harry took the letter from Charlie and looked at him. The second oldest son of the Weasleys hadn't been injured much during the fight, maybe working with dragons had toughened him up, although one scar on his right arm was still painfully visible.

"How's everything going on the new job," Harry asked with interest.

"Oh it's fine," Charlie said "I do miss the freedom and all, but I think I might be able to get another job soon." Charlie winked cheekily and left the room.

"Who's it from," Ron said, putting the Prophet aside.

"Dunno," said Harry truthfully as he opened the envelope and started reading. Ron looked anxiously at him.

"Well, what is it?" he said impatiently.

"They want me to testify for the Malfoys," Harry said with a bit of surprise in his voice.  
"What, for the Malfoys, you mean against them right?" Ron said sounding just as surprised as Harry.

"No not against them, I have to testify in their favor," Harry said looking at the letter again, "they want me to tell them that they had no hand in the Hogwarts battle."

"Well, that's not going to set them free now, will it?"

"No, they were Death Eaters and had quite a hand in everything. Though I do think I might be able to shorten their sentence." Harry said looking at Ron.

"Are you serious?" Ron said, "Dad'll kill you, he's been telling us all for weeks how glad he is Malfoy's finally behind bars."  
Harry looked at the letter and thought about the shaking caring voice of Narcissa when she asked him about Draco. He hadn't told anyone about this, and he was curious whether it would come up in court.

"Draco's mom saved me," Harry said abruptly.

Ron looked thunderstruck at Harry, trying to decide whether to be happy, sad, angry or just surprised.

"She did what?" he said in a thin voice

"She saved me," Harry said in a matter of fact kind off voice, and he told Ron the story of what exactly happened in the forest, though still leaving out the bits and pieces about seeing his dead parents, Sirius and Remus, and Dumbledore at King's Cross. After finishing the story Ron's face looked as though he couldn't find any expression that might match the things he had just heard.

"So," Ron started "so you're gonna do it. You're gonna testify?"

Harry nodded, "it's a week from now, I'll be able to do a couple of things in London before heading to the ministry."

Ron nodded silently "when will you leave?"

Harry looked at his best friend, "Tomorrow," he said "but I'll be seeing you all at King's Cross at the first of September right?"

Ron nodded again, still very silent.

Harry smiled, not expecting Ron to talk. He had already been down a bit from the moment Hermione had left to trace her parents. They had all agreed to go back to Hogwarts, which gave her a little bit more than a month to make everything right with her parents.

Harry looked out of the window, he should do the same, he thought. He should at least check that the Dursleys were home safely, maybe tell his aunt that Severus Snape had died. Yes he should do that before heading back to Hogwarts for one, last, very quiet year. Together with his friends, one last year of friendship and love.


End file.
